Liberation and labor: Circassian women during collectivization (1930s-1940s)

Introduction. The 1930s were a turning point in the history of the Soviet Union: there was a restructuring of the country’s governing bodies, the formation of a modern economic system, and a powerful industrial and defense potential. Modernization also affected the women’s issue. A significant contribution to the process of emancipation of the North Caucasian women was made by the activities of the Departments for work with workers and peasant women (women’s departments). From the very foundation in 1919 until their liquidation, the departments dealt with issues of domestic, political and educational emancipation of the North Caucasian women. The activity was effective and thanks to the measures systematically undertaken during this period, in 1937, Kabardian, Balkarian, Circassian and activists from other North Caucasus regions were elected to the Council of Nationalities of the RSFSR for the first time. The liquidation of Zhenotdels (Women’s Departments) in 1930 is often interpreted as the definitive resolution of the “woman question” in the Soviet Union. However, this study argues that the measure represented not a cessation, but rather a reorganization of work with women. The functions of the Zhenotdel were transferred to the Women’s Sector within the Agitation and Propaganda Department of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks), indicating an integration of work with the female population into the party’s overall strategy. The organization of work with women from Caucasus regions (particularly, in this study, with Circassian women) after the liquidation of the Zhenotdels, and the opportunities for self-realization offered to women during this period, are of particular interest of the research.

Materials and Methods. The research methodology combines the principles of historicism, objectivity, and systemic analysis. The source base includes normative legal acts, scientifical works on Caucasian studies, archival documents (from the state archives of the Rostov Region, Adygea, Kabardino-Balkaria, and KarachayCherkessia), and materials from the periodical press, ensuring a comprehensive approach to the study of the topic.

Analysis. Based on a comprehensive analysis of documentary sources, it is concluded that the reorganization of the system of work with the female population in the 1930s did not lead to a reduction in the level of women’s social activity. The integration of the “woman question” into the general party agenda was combined with an expansion of women’s, including Circassian women’s, access to education at various levels and active involvement in productive activities, which contributed to the formation of a new generation of managerial personnel, including those represented in government bodies.

Results. Analysis of archival sources and normative legal acts demonstrates changes in the lives of Circassian women in Adygea, KabardinoBalkaria, and Karachay-Cherkessia after the abolition of the Zhenotdels. Increased education levels, participation in production, involvement in political activities (up to and including election to the Council of Nationalities), testify to the expansion of opportunities for social mobility and participation in the governance of the state.

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